Chapter 4

Bella said loudly, “What other truth do you need? The witnesses and the evidence are all right here!”

“You can’t marry a woman like this!”

Ford stood nearby and pretended to be scared. “Mom, why are they yelling at you?”

But I heard her inner voice, and it was only for me.

[Mom, go beg Dad. Only Dad really loves you.]

Dad?

I suddenly realized that all of this had been planned.

But I had proof.

I pulled out my phone and opened an audio file. “Everyone, listen to this.”

I played a recording. It was Peter’s voice:

“Shakira, I can’t marry you. My parents don’t agree.”

“But I’ll compensate you. Is fifty thousand enough?”

My voice in the recording was crying. “I don’t want money. I just want to know why.”

Peter said, “I’m sorry. I really can’t do anything about it.”

“Then I’ll return the money to you.”

Then came the sound of money arriving. “We’re even.”

After the recording ended, the room was completely silent.

Each recording proved that they had been the ones to break things off.

The guests below started whispering.

“So it doesn’t look like she was extorting anyone.”

“It was the men who offered breakup money.”

“Then why did they lie just now?”

The four former fiancés all looked terrible.

Peter stammered, “Th-these recordings might be fake!”

I sneered. “Fake? Then let’s go to the police and have them forensically verified right now?”

“Dare you? You don’t dare, because the transfers in your bank records all went to me, and I returned them all.”

“If I really were scamming marriages, why would I give the money back?”

The murmurs below grew even louder.

“Exactly, if it was a marriage scam, why would she return the money?”

“Looks like the problem really was with the men.”

Mario got anxious. “Then why were you recording?”

I looked at him. “Because I was afraid you’d back out, so I recorded every breakup talk to protect myself.”

“I didn’t expect it to actually come in handy today.”

George pointed at me. “You set us up!”

I said calmly, “Set you up? You were the ones who first smeared me as a marriage scam.”

“I’m just clearing my name.”

Bella looked at the four men, and her expression changed too. “What’s going on with you all?”

“Why did you lie?”

Peter stammered, “We… we…”

Just then, Ford suddenly spoke up.

“Didn’t you say you’d help me?”

The moment her words fell, the room erupted again.

“What does she mean, help her? What is this kid talking about?”

The four men’s faces grew even uglier.

I crouched down and looked at Ford. “Ford, what did you just say?”

Ford realized she had misspoken and quickly shook her head. “I didn’t say anything.”

But everyone below had heard it.

Wilson walked over and asked seriously, “Ford, what were they supposed to help you with?”

Ford bit her lip and stayed silent.

I asked again, “Ford, did someone teach you to say those things?”

Ford’s eyes started to dart around.

[Dad said I absolutely couldn’t let you know it was arranged by him.]

The truth was finally out.